Dust-proof lamp sockets



Jan. 8, 1963 w. H. JOHNSON ETAL 3,072,875

DUST-PROOF LAMP socxms Original Filed Nov. 25, 1958 Imve niors Wavren H.J0 Wjumn Roaez if E. 1 2% zgew'aidg z WaE J-W 223 d State 3 Claims. (Cl.339-101) Our invention aims to provide improvements in lamp socket andlike assemblies. An object of the invention is to provide a housingmember with a skirt portion extending from one end thereof and providedwith one or more apertures through which a cable or wires may pass andbe gripped tightly by the skirt to prevent passage of moisture and dustinto the socket device where the contact members for a light bulb arehoused.

A further object of the invention is to form a skirt portion fromextruded plastic tubing, attach one end to a conventional lamp sockethousing in any suitable manner and heat seal the other end of theextruded skirt to provide a single opening or two or more openings forthe passage of a conductor wire or wires.

Referring now to the drawings which illustrate pre ferred embodiments ofour invention:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of one form of our in vention having twoconductor wire-receiving apertures in the skirt portion;

PEG. 2 is a partial section taken on the line 2-2 of KG. 3;

FIG. 3 is an end view of the device from the wirereceiving end thereof;

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of a modified form of device showing asingle wire-receiving aperture in the skirt;

FIG. 5 is a partial section taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is an end view of the device shown in FIG. 4 from thewire-receiving end.

Our invention, as illustrated by FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 is particularlydirected to a snap attached lamp socket housing having a hollow housingportion 1 which may be held in snap engagement with a support by theyieldable portions 2. This housing portion may hold .a suitableelectrical means, not shown, and which is connected to suitable electriccurrent supply by suitable wiring.

In order to make the housing mounting tight at the wiring end, we haveprovided a simple skirt construction 3 beyond one end of the housingportion 2. The construc tion of the skirt 3 depends on the devicedesired. It may be one piece with the housing or it may be a separatepiece attached thereto. In the construction illustrated, the skirt 3 isformed from a tubular piece of extruded plastic. One end 4 is connectedby a suitable adhesive 5 (FIG. 2) to the housing portion 1. The otherend is flattened, trimmed, and has a semi-circular heat-sealed Unit776,318, Nov. 25, Ser. No.

portion 6, thereby providing two wire-receiving apertured portions 77.Thus, when the wires 88 are inserted into the portions 77, they aretightly surrounded and gripped by those portions to form seals againstthe entrance of moisture or dust.

Referring more specifically to a modified form of our invention as shownin FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, we have shown a hollow housing 1 which may bepermanently attached to a support by a rivet or collar portion 9. Inthis construction we have provided a skirt 3 which is the same as thatdescribed above except that the flattened portion is different.

In some cases it may be advisable to have only a single wire-receivingaperture in which case we cut the flattened end at the corners andprovide heat-sealed portions 10- it at opposite sides of a centralwire-receiving apertured portion 11, as best shown in FIG. 4.

It will be seen that we have provided a simple, inexpensive means ofproviding a suitable electrical device with protection against damage bymoisture or dust passing into the device from the wiring end. By makingthe skirt 3 from a simple inexpensive extruded piece of tubing, weeliminate expensive mold costs and we can vary the shape and utility bysimple trimming and heatsealing operations. As shown in the drawings,the hollow portion 1, which may be a lamp socket shell for holdingcontact means for engagement with a lamp, has a diameter at leastseveral times the diameter of ,the conductor means 8 and the internallycylindrical skirt 3 has a diameter snugly fitting on said hollow portionat 5 and hence initially several times the diameter of the conductormeans 8. As is also shown on the drawings, the internally cylindricalskirt 3 has a portion thereof extending from said hollow portion 1,having a somewhat flattened configuration from the junction of thehollow portion 1 with the skirt 3 outward. The flattened portion has atleast one cutaway portion extending from the end of the tubing. Thehollow portion is seamed together along the edge of the cutaway portion.The flattened, cutaway, seamed portion thus defines a tapered sectionterminating at the said remote end of the tubing in a longitudinallydirected opening defined by the wall '7 in FIGS. 1 through 3 and by thewall 11 in FIGS. 4 through 6 of a cross section to tightly surround theelectrical conductor means and the seamed portions as best shown in theend views (FIGS. 3 and 6). The seamed portions afford a longitudinalthickened rib means stiflening the tapered portion. The tapered portionwith the flattened, more or less webor wing-like portions, extendlongitudinally from said seamed edges, thereby providing means forgrasping the skirt in a region which does not obstruct passage of theconductor means through the skirt 3.

This application is a continuation of our application, Serial No.776,318, filed November 25, 1958 now abandoned.

While we have illustrated and described two diflerent forms of ourinvention, it should be understood that we are not to be limited theretobecause our invention is best defined by the following claims.

We claim:

1. In a lamp socket and like housing of the type comprising a hollowportion for housing contact means for engagement with a lamp and aflexible tubular skirt means connected at one end to said hollow portionand having its other end formed to tightly surround flexible electricalconductor means for feeding current to said contact means and in whichsaid hollow portion has a diameter at least several times the diameterof said conductor means, the improved flexible tubular skirt means whichconsists of a single flexible piece of tubing of a diameter snuglyfitting over said hollow portion, said tubing having a portion thereofflattened at .a point remote from said hollow portion, said flattenedportion having at least one cutaway portion extending from the end ofsaid tubing remote from said hollow portion and the walls of saidflattened portion being seamed together along the edge of said cutawayportion, said flattened cutaway seamed portion defining a short taperingsection terminating at said remote end of said tubing in alongitudinally directed opening of a cross section to tightly surroundsaid flexible electrical conductor means, said seamed portion affordinga longitudinal stiffening of said tapered portion facilitating theinsertion of such flexible electrical conductor means therethrough.

2. The improvement of claim 1, said flattened portion having one saidcutaway and seamed portion of arcuate shape centrally of said flattenedend portion and defining two of said longitudinally directed openingsfor receiving separate electrical conductor means.

3. The improvement of claim 1, said flattened portion 5 having two saidcutaway and seamed portions defining between them a single saidlongitudinally directed opening and stiffening two opposed sides of thetapered portion leading thereto.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS FloodJan. 9, 1951 Heller Mar. 22, 1955 Alfred et al Dec. 13, 1955 FranklinAug. 28, 1956

1. IN A LAMP SOCKET AND LIKE HOUSING OF THE TYPE COMPRISING A HOLLOWPORTION FOR HOUSING CONTACT MEANS FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH A LAMP AND AFLEXIBLE TUBULAR SKIRT MEANS CONNECTED AT ONE END TO SAID HOLLOW PORTIONAND HAVING ITS OTHER END FORMED TO TIGHTLY SURROUND FLEXIBLE ELECTRICALCONDUCTOR MEANS FOR FEEDING CURRENT TO SAID CONTACT MEANS AND IN WHICHSAID HOLLOW PORTION HAS A DIAMETER AT LEAST SEVERAL TIMES THE DIAMETEROF SAID CONDUCTOR MEANS, THE IMPROVED FLEXIBLE TUBULAR SKIRT MEANS WHICHCONSISTS OF A SINGLE FLEXIBLE PIECE OF TUBING OF A DIAMETER SNUGLYFITTING OVER SAID HOLLOW PORTION, SAID TUBING HAVING A PORTION THEREOFFLATTENED AT A POINT REMOTE FROM SAID HOLLOW PORTION, SAID FLATTENEDPORTION HAVING AT LEAST ONE CUTAWAY PORTION EXTENDING FROM THE END OFSAID TUBING REMOTE FROM SAID HOLLOW PORTION AND THE WALLS OF SAIDFLATTENED PORTION BEING SEAMED TOGETHER ALONG THE EDGE PORTION DEFININGA SHORT TAPERING SECTION TERMINATING AT SAID REMOTE END OF SAID TUBINGIN A LONGITUDINALLY DIRECTED OPENING OF A CROSS SECTION TO TIGHTLYSURROUND SAID FLEXIBLE ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR MEANS, SAID SEAMED PORTIONAFFORDING A LONGITUDINAL STIFFENING OF SAID TAPERED PORTION FACILITATINGTHE INSERTION OF SUCH FLEXIBLE ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR MEANS THERETHROUGH.